LILA DiCANIO

Lila DiCanio, nee Katz, passed away peacefully Thursday, November 15, 2018, at home in Wilmette, surrounded by her daughters. Born in Chicago, Lila was a wordsmith from an early age, graduating from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, in 1959, where she met her husband Tom, to whom she was married for 53 years. Her early career included being the first female assistant editor at World Book Encyclopedia. She was an early feminist, demanding equal pay when she discovered that her male counterparts were making more money than she was – even though she had trained them. She threatened to quit if they didn’t increase her salary and she won. After moving to Wilmette with her husband and two daughters, she made herself known to the local school board by getting involved in issues in the schools. She proudly wore her “Impeach Nixon” button around Wilmette and worked at various advertising agencies as a copy editor. She helped her husband publish the trade journal Floral & Nursery Times where she wrote a column for many years. In her later years, she remained active attending a support group for Alzheimer’s where she always had advice to give, serving as an election judge, and volunteering at the Wilmette Public Library. She was thrilled that the Democrats took back the house. She loved movies, reading, WFMT, traveling, her view of the lake and had a wicked sense of humor. She never failed to mention how beautiful Chicago was when driving into the city. She was also an incredibly generous and loyal mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. She is survived by her daughters Laura (Zach) and Paula (Tom), four grandchildren, Hannah, Johnny, Annabella and Aaron. A Memorial Service will be held at HABEN Funeral Home & Crematory, 8057 Niles Center Rd., Skokie, on Sunday, November 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Memorial donations in Lila’s name may be made to The American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK, 73123. Funeral info:  847.673.6111 or www.habenfuneral.com to sign guestbook.